More than 80 primary schools across Australia have been recognised by Coles for their sustainability in the schoolyard, as the retailer celebrates its 10-year partnership with soft plastics recycling initiative REDcycle.
The schools – whose initiatives ranged from making their own REDcycle bins in the classroom, to building sustainable kitchen gardens and planting trees – will each receive a schoolyard ‘buddy bench’ made from 98 per cent recycled plastic as part of Coles’ Sustainability4Schools competition.
When Coles’ partnership with REDcycle was established in 2011, it was the first of its kind for a supermarket in Australia, and since then, Coles has placed REDcycle bins in all its supermarkets across the country.
Through its 10-year partnership with REDcycle, Coles has now facilitated the collection of more than 1.6 billion pieces of customers’ soft plastic to be recycled into furniture, children’s playground equipment, roads and even used in Coles’ car parks.
REDcycle founder Elizabeth Kasell said the Coles partnership has come a long way in 10 years.
“We started REDcycle by hiring a trailer to collect plastic bags at schools in Melbourne and deliver them to local manufacturer Replas, which would recycle it to into useful products,” Kasell said.
“A decade later, it’s encouraging to see schools are initiating their own recycling programs and being rewarded by Coles for their sustainability in the school yard.”
Kirsty Davis, general manager, Sustainability and Property Services at Coles, said Coles was extremely proud of its partnership with REDcycle to drive sustainability for the next generation, and wanted to reward schools for playing their part in protecting the environment.
“As part of Coles’ ‘Together to Zero’ strategy, we want to work with organisations like REDcycle and local schools to reduce waste and drive generational sustainability,” explained Davis.
“School kids across Australia have inspired us with their innovative and productive ways to protect the environment, and we want to reward and recognise their efforts by providing them with a bench made from recycled plastic.”
One of the 81 schools to receive a recycled bench is Marmion Primary School in WA, whose Year 5 students collect and promote the recycling of soft plastics through REDcycle.
According to principal Ian Herbert, winning a bench made from soft plastics was a fitting reward for the students’ recycling efforts, which has seen the school collect 943kg of soft plastic since 2017.
“A focus on sustainability has been established at Marmion Primary School for many years, and each year level within our school takes ownership for various recycling responsibilities,” Herbert said.
Since 2011, shoppers have helped Coles to collect more than 1.65 billion pieces of plastic and over 565 million pieces last financial year alone.
